the whole plate. » basil

zucchini linguine.

leslie — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:36:47 +0000

I think what I’ll miss most when summer has truly ended is the wealth and easy availability of fresh herbs. I used to complain that they were an impractical purchase for a person cooking for one (or occasionally two). But this summer, I have stocked up on different varieties each week, and I’ve found ways to incorporate them in dishes throughout every day.

Basil might be my favorite. It somehow manages to complement every flavor, whether it be cool, ruby fruits like watermelon and strawberries, or warm and wilted with hearty grains. Tonight, I used it in the most classic preparation – a simple pesto.

basil pesto

~2 c fresh basil
1/4 c pine nuts
2 T evoo
1 T nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients except oil in food processor. With motor running, drizzle in oil until well combined.

Tonight, I made “noodles” using a couple golden zucchinis, tossed them with the pesto, and served it over spinach. After my first bite, I decided to add a few chopped sundried tomatoes, which were the perfect uniting element.

I’m all for real pasta, but on a late summer evening, this meal could not have been more cool, apt, and refreshing.

What flavor will you miss most when summer ends?

bruschetta bulgur.

leslie — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:36:43 +0000

Late summer has been stirring Italian memories in me (which is ironic, considering I was actually there in the fall). But when I muse about the golden hues of August’s final days, I can’t help but associate them with the colors of Italian imagery: sunlight in piazzas, warm focaccia with rich olive oil, yellow stones of ancient bridges.

It seemed appropriate, then, to put together an Italian-inspired meal tonight. While the traditional cuisine doesn’t typically excite me, I do have a soft spot for bruschetta. Fresh tomatoes and bread, flavorful herbs and oil: the dish is a union of perfect simplicity.

With such variety of tomatoes at peak season, coupled with my Italian associations, a bruschetta inspired dish was an easy decision. I threw in eggplant just for fun.

bruschetta bulgur (serves 2)

evoo
1/2 c bulgur, uncooked
1.5 c vegetable broth
1/2 head garlic, roasted (instructions here)
1/2 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4″ rounds
1 large tomato, cut into 1″ chunks (I used a big heirloom)
1 c cannellini beans
1/4 c fresh basil, coarsely chopped
2 T chopped kalamata olives
2 T parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400. Toss eggplant in olive oil and roast 20 minutes. Add tomatoes; roast with eggplant 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bulgur in vegetable broth. Toss with beans and basil.

On plate, layer vegetables and garlic cloves over bulgur mixture. Garnish with olives, parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Best enjoyed on a night in, or in the company of someone who won’t mind some pungent garlic breath. The amount of garlic may be intense, but it is oh so delicious when roasted. Most definitely worth the odor.

What meals do you gravitate toward at this time of year?

chop, stir, fry, eat.

leslie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:13:30 +0000

Back in high school, my friends and I often visited a Japanese restaurant in the center of our town. Offering a traditional hibachi menu, it had enough options to satisfy each of our varying palates (read: I could eat rice and chicken and give my vegetables away).

My friends had a rule when it came to Asian dinners. Chopsticks were obligatory, for at least a full five minutes. Most of them were well-schooled in chopstick manipulation, and as soon as our chef-actor had thrown the final bites onto our respective plates, they all dug enthusiastically in. For those first five minutes, however, two of us struggled, fingers, sticks, and bite size piece of food sliding around our plates. It wasn’t exactly a…classy sight.

To this day, I can’t understand how it is possible to eat rice without a fork. I may have developed enough dexterity to enjoy sushi and a spicy Thai stir fry without my Western utensils, but rice remains a mystery.

Chopsticks or not, the goods remaining in my refrigerator tonight felt Asian-inspired, so I decided on a stir-fry. When I was first learning to cook, stir fries were a choice I often returned to. A recipe is unnecessary; all that is required are a few good vegetables, some flavor, some rice, and a little trial and error.

Tonight’s mix:

baby bok choy
string beans
carrot
bean sprouts
1/3 block tempeh
tamari almonds

And for flavor:

fresh basil
fresh ginger
sesame oil
rice vinegar
dulse flakes

All over brown rice, with a salad alongside. There was a lot going on in this dish, but it worked. Especially since I ate it with a fork and knife.

Are you a chopsticks pro?

pleasing to the mind and the eye.

leslie — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:03:44 +0000

Well, I’ve had – a day. You know those days. I’ll keep the complaints to myself and get right to nicer things.

Simple foods and good aesthetics always brighten my mood, so dinner was perfectly comforting. A salad of baby spinach, watermelon, feta, and fresh basil. Incredible combination, seriously.

Along with toast and brazil nut butter, which I made by pureeing brazil nuts in my favorite new toy. I feel like I’m cheating on avocado toast, but the food processor was tempting me.

I see some yogi tea and banana soft serve in my future. Possibly some deep breaths, too.

What relaxes you when you’ve had “one of those” days?

dinner daydreams.

leslie — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:30:59 +0000

The simple knowledge that I was going to make this dinner was all I needed to keep me motivated for 9 hours on my feet today.

It was sort of a spin on my go-to formula, with a twist from some sauce.

I started with the veg:

eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms

While sautéing, I whipped up a batch of peanut sauce.

with extra ginger

Then I cooked up the last of my soba noodles, saving the garnishes for last.

cashews, soba noodles, basil

I tossed all the deliciousness together and fridged it for about an hour. There was some wine consumed in the meantime.

Digging in was worth the wait.

Do you ever dream of a meal all day?

alternative hummus.

leslie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:35:32 +0000

I hope everyone enjoyed their fourth, if you were celebrating! Mine began peacefully with some of this:

And ended on a less tranquil note with some of these:

It’s all about balance.

After journeying on a packed train back to the city (in the company of apparently every other inhabitant of the island), I was craving something hearty, but not heavy for dinner.

I visited with a close friend this weekend who currently lives in Dubai, and we spent a bit of time discussing how incredible hummus tastes when enjoyed in its native region. I remember eating hummus in Israel and proclaiming I would never be able to eat it back home again – it was just that good. Still, I’ve wanted to make my own for quite some time. At the moment I am without chickpeas or a food processor, so the traditional kind was out.

With only a blender to work its magic, I chose lentils as the base, assuming they would blend easily. Plus, they fulfilled my yen for “hearty-not-heavy.”

lentil hummus

1/4 c dry lentils
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T lemon juice
1 T tahini
1 t evoo
5 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Cook lentils until soft, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and place in blender with other ingredients. Blend well. Refrigerate minimum one hour.

I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, so I made the recipe small. But, I’m sure it could be easily doubled or quadrupled for a heftier, longer-lasting amount.

I enjoyed all that I made with dipping utensils: swag bread, crackers, raw zucchini, carrots, and broccoli.

How did you spend your fourth?

buried treasure.

leslie — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:06:22 +0000

Living in a New York apartment, I have to take advantage of every inch of storage space I have. My shelves are packed from back to front and top to bottom; the space under my bed doubles as a storeroom; even my ottomans open to reveal sheets and pillows folded inside. It’s no surprise that things occasionally get lost in the crevices.

A few days ago, while reorganizing some cabinets in my kitchen, I uncovered a couple bags of forgotten bulk bin goodies. I almost always buy my grains from bulk bins – the savings is always worth it, and the selection is often very wide. One of the treasure bags from my shelf contained just enough bulk bin kasha for one, and since my sister chose to have an early dinner of her own creation, tonight seemed the perfect opportunity to finish off the bag myself.

Because my parents so generously brought in groceries last weekend, I haven’t done much in the way of meal planning this week. Most of my meals have been the result of long stares into my refrigerator – that machine can be quite the muse.

Tonight my eye settled upon the container of basil I received on the shoot yesterday. I pulled out some green, got the kasha cooking, and plugged in the blender to get creative.

roasted pepper and basil tapenade

1 red bell pepper
1/4 c fresh basil
1/4 c kalamata olives
2 t evoo, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Slice pepper and toss with 1 t olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes. Place pepper in blender with other ingredients; blend until a thick paste forms.

I used some as a topping for a pile of ingredients:

Bottom up: baby spinach, kasha, asparagus, broccoli, black beans, and tapenade. Topped with some cashews, just because I love them. A random mix, but delicious nonetheless.

What do you think you’d find hidden in your cabinets?